The present invention relates to a method of reducing the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines and to an economiser device for such engines.
With the cost of fuel for combustion engines of all types increasing, there is a great demand for means by which the wastage of fuels may be kept to a minimum. Users of fuel are at the same time unwilling to accept sacrifices in the performance of their engines. It is known that engines consume fuel not only when they are providing positive output, but also at other times. It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the consumption of fuel when an engine is running but not producing positive work.
In U.K. Pat. No. 1,519,584 there is described a method of reducing the fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine comprising sensing the pressure difference between a source of air and the intake pressure of the fuel-air mixture to the engine, and introducing into the mixture additional air through a pressure-operated relief valve which opens when said pressure difference is in the range from 18 to 22 inches of mercury. This Specification also describes a fuel economiser device for use in combustion engines having an inlet for a combustible mixture, which device comprises a pressure-operated relief valve for communicating the said inlet to a source of air and means for sealably securing the downstream side of the valve to said inlet, the valve being arranged to open when the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side rises to a point within the range from 18 to less than 22 inches of mercury, whereby the fuel-air mixture is weakened upon operation of the device by the entry of air through the valve.